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Nicola Cortese, the Southampton executive chairman, said yesterday that the
club had no choice but to sack Nigel Adkins and appoint Mauricio Pochettino,
the former Espanyol coach, if they wish to fulfil their “long-term ambition”
of establishing themselves in the Barclays Premier League.

Pochettino was first approached by Southampton this week — before Adkins’s
side followed up their victory away to Aston Villa on Saturday with a
stirring point away to Chelsea — and was confirmed as the former Scunthorpe
United manager’s replacement at St Mary’s yesterday morning, hours after
Adkins had been informed of his dismissal. Adkins arrived on the South